Cranberry and Nuts Shortbread Cookies (Eggless and 3 flavors)

Course: Chinese New Year, Christmas Cookies

Cuisine: British, scottish

Cook Time: 10

Chill in the fridge: 1

Servings: cookies (depending on the size)

Calories: 72kcal

Author: Marvellina

Make these delicious crisp and melt-in-mouth shortbread cookies studded with dried cranberry pieces and crunchy nuts in vanilla, matcha, and chocolate flavors. These eggless shortbread cookies are just lightly sweetened, perfect as holiday cookies, Chinese New year cookies or just to go with that cuppa.

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US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

113 g unsalted butter softened
50 g caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt

For vanilla shortbread:

57 g all-purpose flour
20 g dried cranberries cut into smaller pieces

For matcha shortbread:

50 g all-purpose flour
5 g matcha powder
10 g toasted almonds or nuts of your choice, roughly chopped
10 g dried cranberries cut into smaller pieces

For chocolate shortbread:

48 g all-purpose flour
8 g cocoa powder
10 g toasted almonds
10 g dried cranberries

Instructions

Prepare the dough:

Please make sure the butter is soft but not melting. Put butter and sugar in a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Use a paddle attachment to cream until butter is creamy and the sugar is incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla extract and salt and cream to combine
Divide the butter mixture into 3 equal portions by weight, about 54 grams per portion

Prepare vanilla dough:

Add the all-purpose flour and dried cranberries to one of the butter portions. Use a sturdy spatula to combine until no dry flour is visible. Form into a tight log about 2 1/2 to 3 inch diameter. If you want it square, you can use a bench scraper to help you shape it into a square shape instead. Wrap in a cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to one week, about 1 month in the freezer

Prepare matcha dough:

Add the all-purpose flour, matcha powder, chopped nuts, and dried cranberries to the second butter portions. Use a sturdy spatula to combine until no dry flour is visible. Form into a tight log about 2 1/2 to 3 inch diameter. If you want it square, you can use a bench scraper to help you shape it into a square shape instead. Wrap in a cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to one week, about 1 month in the freezer

Prepare chocolate dough:

Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, chopped nuts, and dried cranberries to the last butter portions. Use a sturdy spatula to combine until no dry flour is visible. Form into a tight log about 2 1/2 to 3 inch diameter. If you want it square, you can use a bench scraper to help you shape it into a square shape instead. Wrap in a cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to one week, about 1 month in the freezer

Alternative way of shaping:

Instead of shaping into a log or square log, you can also roll the cookie dough out in between two parchment paper to about 1/2-inch thick. Use a bench scraper to shape the edges so it has sharp corners. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to one week, about 1 month in the freezer

Baking:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for a conventional oven and 320 F (160 C) for a convection oven. Line a baking or cookie sheet with parchment paper
Remove the shortbread cookie dough from the fridge and use a sharp knife to cut into 1/2-inch thick slices if you shape it into a log. If you roll the dough out earlier, then cut into about 6 equal pieces for each dough, so you get a total of 18 cookies, roughly
Arrange them on the baking pan, about 1/2 inch apart. These cookies do not spread during baking
Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes, rotate halfway through baking. The cookies shouldn't brown much at all. They should just start to brown on the edge. If not, you can add another minute and check again. Do not overbake these shortbread cookies.
Let them cool down on the baking pan for at least 10 minutes. They are still very soft when out of the oven. Trying to move them when they are still warm will crumble the cookies
Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool down completely

Age the cookies:

The shortbread cookies have little flavor and taste dry if you eat them on the same day you make them. I encourage you to store them in an air-tight container after they have cooled down completely. Let them age for at least 24 hours and then you will be able to taste that wonderful buttery flavor, crisp and melt in mouth texture.

Store the cookies:

Shortbread cookies can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for about a month max
For longer storage, baked shortbread cookies can be kept frozen in a sturdy air-tight container separated by parchment paper if you stack them. Simply let them thaw at room temperature before serving or packing them as a gift

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